Neon Genesis Evangelion is a staple mecha anime series that manages to withstand the test of time despite including a number of questionable characters. Asuka is one of the many characters that fit into the world of NERV, Angels, and Eva's but has a hard time garnishing new fans in the 21st century.

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Asuka should be celebrated for the strength and brilliance that she carries herself with. The Eva Unit 2's pilot is a good model for those looking to find strength in their independence, but there are moments when Asuka takes it too far. Whether it be the time she called Rei Ayanami a doll or all the hate she threw at Misato for her relationship with Mr. Kaji, fans have plenty of reasons to question Asuka's character despite her show of independent strength.

10 Asuka Defines Her Self Worth In Questionable Ways Throughout The Entire Series

Evangelion Asuka in Plugsuit Stands Confidently

One of Asuka's biggest flaws is the way she perceives her value. The young Eva pilot assesses her value almost exclusively through the lens of her skill as an Eva pilot and her "maturity." The former proves that her stubborn independence is little more than a façade, but the latter is a bit more complicated than that.

The threat of the Angels is one that no single Eva pilot is able to overcome. This makes Asuka's stubborn independence and definition of self-worth an extremely dangerous combination that leads to a mental breakdown that nearly gets her killed.

9 She Fails To Celebrate Shinji's Initial Success When Activating Eva Unit 1 With An Impressively High Sync Rate

Asuka _ Neon Genesis Evangelion

While a little competition can be valuable in a team setting, Asuka's behavior whenever she witnesses the success of her peers is downright toxic. An example of this toxic behavior comes when she hears of Shinji's first-time sync rate.

An Eva Pilot's sync rate can be used to assess how well the pilot is able to merge with their Eva. Though 40% is not incredibly impressive, it is an accomplishment that should be celebrated for a first-time pilot. When Asuka finds out that Shinji achieved a 40% sync rate during his first mission inside Eva Unit 1, she is rightfully shocked. Still, instead of giving Shinji credit for his accomplishment, she mocks him in the same condescending tone that she always uses when addressing "idiot Shinji."

8 She Breaks Down Shinji's Confidence By Consistently Calling Him "Idiot Shinji"

Evangelion 3.0 Shinji Asuka

Any fan of, and character within, Neon Genesis Evangelion knows that Shinji is an incredibly insecure character. His entire personality is defined and motivated by this insecurity. Still, Asuka refuses to help Shinji overcome this insecurity despite the fact that they are teammates.

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Throughout Neon Genesis Evangelion, Asuka refers to the series protagonist as "idiot Shinji." This nickname pushes its way deep into Shinji's consciousness and makes him even more insecure than he was before. By the end of the series, Shinji is nothing more than a shell of himself due to the combination of his baseline self-esteem and Asuka's constant verbal harassment.

7 Asuka Directs Her Hate At Rei & Shinji Instead Of Dealing With Her Feelings Of Jealousy

Asuka Complaining at Shinji and Rei from Neon Genesis Evangelion

Asuka's toxic behavior goes much further than the harsh verbal insults she throws at Shinji. When Asuka begins to notice the relationship that is developing between Shinji and Rei, she pushes her own feelings down and begins insulting Rei in the same way that she insults Shinji.

If Asuka were able to come to terms with her own feelings and sacrifice her hyper independence for just a moment, she would learn that it is neither Shinji nor Rei's fault that she remains the outsider in the love triangle that exists between NERV's three Eva Pilots.

6 Asuka Insults Rei's Independence By Calling Her A Doll

Rei And Asuka Share An Awkward Elevator Ride In Neon Genesis Evangelion

Instead of addressing the self-hate that is a fundamental part of her personality, Asuka becomes a master at directing her hate at other people. When caught in an elevator with Rei, Asuka expresses her hate through verbal insults before attempting to physically attack her ally.

To be fair, Asuka's verbal assault came as a result of Rei sticking her nose into Asuka's trauma. Still, though the advice she offered was unwarranted and unasked for, Rei was only trying to help before Asuka attacked her.

5 Asuka Defied Direct Orders & Attacked The 7th Angel Alone

asuka end of evangelion

The 7th Angel was a big test for Asuka and Shinji. Unlike the angels that came before, Israfel was capable of splitting itself into two perfectly harmonious pieces.

After Asuka rushed into battle, grasping at the straws of professional recognition, she sparked Israfel's evolution and doomed both her and Shinji's chances at victory. To defeat Israfel, two Eva pilots were required to work in complete unison to match the 7th Angel's power. Instead, Asuka charged in head-first and then refused to work alongside Shinji even after learning what it would take to defeat their new foe.

4 She Blamed Shinji For Failing To Work In Sync After Losing To The 7th Angel

Neon Genesis Evangelion Asuka Langley Sohryu — listening to music with Shinji

After watching Asuka awaken the synchronous threat of the 7th Angel, NERV came up with a plan to beat Israfel with their own synchronized attack. To do so, Asuka and Shinji were forced to meet somewhere in the middle of Shinji's timidity and Asuka's self-confidence to find success.

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While Shinji worked tirelessly to adapt to NERV's plan, Asuka refused to take responsibility for her own failures until Rei demonstrated how easily she was able to work in sync with Shinji. While training for their synchronized attack, the pilot of Eva Unit 2 continually blamed Shinji for their lack of success despite the fact that it was her all along.

3 Asuka Refused To Acknowledge Her Feelings For Shinji

Asuka & Shinji Kiss

By the end of Neon Genesis Evangelion, Asuka was the only person that was still confused about the feelings she had for Shinji Hikari. Asuka loses roughly 329 likability points for each time she failed to acknowledge her feelings.

She loses even more points because of the way she consistently redirected her feelings of unrequited love at those who attempted to talk to her about the relationship she had with Idiot Shinji.

2 Asuka Throws Herself At Mr. Kaji Despite The Way He Clearly & Confidently Turns Her Away

Kaji & Asuka _ Neon Genesis Evangelion

The way Asuka embraces her own mature body is admirable for a number of reasons, but by shamelessly throwing herself at Mr. Kaji, she forces fans to question whether her confidence is genuine.

Whether Mr. Kaji deserves this sort of recognition is a question for another day, but the moment Asuka begins to resent Misato and question her own self-worth because of her inability to win over a man who is twice her age makes the overconfident façade that she puts more than just questionable.

1 Asuka Regularly Directs Her Hate At Fan-Favorite Character Misato Katsuragi

Asuka Attacking Misato _ Neon Genesis Evangelion

Asuka's jealousy seems to know no bounds in the world of Neon Genesis Evangelion. When confronted by the passive threat of Rei Ayanami, Asuka directs her hate at a young girl who knows nothing but passive kindness.

When confronted by Misato Katsuragi's mature confidence, Asuka ruins her likability by directing her hate at a fan-favorite character. Every Neon Genesis Evangelion's fan respects the confident and vulnerable character that is Ms. Misato. When Asuka begins directing her anger at Misato, fans can't help but question their admiration of Eva Unit 2's pilot.

NEXT: Neon Genesis Evangelion: 10 Things Everyone Gets Wrong About Asuka